In A Multitasking World, Much Media Consumption Occurs Individually

In A Multitasking World, Much Media Consumption Occurs Individually

- TV Most Likely to be Used in Combination With Other Media -

NEW YORK, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- It's no secret that in our multitasking world, people often do other things while reading a magazine, watching TV or surfing the Internet. Data from MRI's recently released 2008 MediaDay study, however, show that many consumers exclusively focus on a single medium.

For most major media, one-half or more of at-home usage occurs while the consumer is exclusively engaged with a single medium. For example, 55.0% of newspaper reading in an average day is exclusive, as is 53.8% of Internet usage, 53.6% of magazine reading and 49.4% of TV viewing.

MEDIA MULTITASKING
At Home
Percent of Exclusive Media Usage in an Average Day

Total Adults Ages 18-29 Ages 45-64
Newspapers 55.0% 47.6% 50.0%
Internet 53.8% 46.6% 58.2%
Magazines 53.6% 49.3% 53.4%
Televison 49.4% 52.8% 46.1%
Radio 28.3% 28.8% 22.2%
Source: MRI's 2008 MediaDay Study, Single Year.

Moreover, when more than one medium is used simultaneously in the home, it is typically TV and another medium. For instance, 19% of at-home magazine reading is done while watching TV; 17.4% of Internet usage is done while watching TV; and 15.3% of at-home newspaper reading is done while watching TV. The most common non-media activity done at home while simultaneously using media is chores.

When using media outside the home, the percent of exclusive usage drops significantly for the Internet and TV. For the Internet, only 20.4% of usage is exclusive, largely because 62.2% of usage is done while simultaneously working; 46.4% of out-of-home TV viewing is done while simultaneously working or interacting with others.

MEDIA MULTITASKING
Out-of-Home
Percent of Exclusive Media Usage in an Average Day

Total Adults Ages 18-29 Ages 45-64
Newspapers 54.8% 68.2% 45.3%
Internet 20.4% 28.2% 19.5%
Magazines 49.0% 44.7% 54.2%
Televison 32.6% 25.5% 44.8%
Radio 34.6% 41.4% 31.9%
Source: MRI's 2008 MediaDay Study, Single Year.

"MediaDay offers valuable information for marketers building cross-platform media plans," said Anne Marie Kelly, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Planning at MRI. "For instance, the data help to identify what type of consumer watches TV and is online at the same time. TV ads containing a web URL to drive response could work particularly well with these targets."

About MRI...

Founded in 1979, MRI interviews approximately 26,000 U.S. adults in their homes each year, asking about their use of media, their consumption of products and their lifestyles and attitudes.

MRI is the country's leading provider of magazine audience and multimedia research data. The company releases data from Survey of the American Consumer (adults 18+) twice yearly, in the spring and fall. MRI data have become the basic media-planning currency for the majority of the media plans that are created each year by national advertisers and their agencies. The company's 26,000 in-home interviews each year represent the biggest survey of its kind.

Starch Communications, a leader in providing marketing intelligence of print advertising effectiveness, is a division of MRI.

MRI is part of GfK Group AG, Nuremberg, Germany. For more information, please visit http://www.mediamark.com/.

Source: MRI

CONTACT: Anne Marie Kelly, Senior Vice President, Marketing and
Strategic Planning, MRI, +1-212-884-9204, annemarie.kelly@mediamark.com; or
Steve Ellwanger, Press Counsel Group, +1-203-856-8303,
steve@presscounselonline.com

Web Site: http://www.mediamark.com/

-------
Profile: intent